We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mary Roth. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mary below.

Mary, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

A mission for my twerk dance class is to Blanace the mind and body through dance. Similar to when an animal experiences a traumatic event and they shake, my class will help to release trauma and balance the nervous system through movement including shaking, twerking, and moving in a way that feels authentic to you.
I experienced a traumatic child birth with my daughter. I hemorrhaged and felt myself dying. Postpartum was a challenge, as I felt separate from my body, as if my body failed me somehow. As I begin my healing journey postpartum, I found that movement balanced my nervous system and made me feel back in my body and even grateful for it again. I am excited to share in this experience with other women who maybe have past traumas or insecurities they are working through in providing a safe outlet to release emotions and feel back into our bodies.

Mary, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am offering a 60 minute workout class in-person and online for women called twerk church or bounce with Mary. In this class we will sweat as we learn twerk moves and get the heart rate up with some cardio and then wind down with some yoga and breathing. I read a poem aloud written by me to share in vulnerability, my truth.
I began dancing when I was 18 and discovered how much I loved feeling into my body. While traveling, I trained to be a yoga instructor in India. Yoga along with dance are very grounding and a safe space to process my emotions. My twerk instructor, Shawna Mox has taught me not only how to twerk but how to be in my power.
I worked alongside women for most of my career. I graduated with my nursing degree in 2010 and have been working with women ever since specifically during childbirth and I’ve witness as women’s body’s and minds shift. Then giving birth to my own child in 2020, I became more compassionate and passionate in working with women during transitions.
Another driving force for my healing journey is suffering from anxiety, I’ve struggled with anxiety since childhood and just when I thought I had it under control I had a baby and it’s like I started all over again but now I was responsible for a little one and it felt even worse. I found that I respond well to body work and I began shifting the narrative that for my emotions and thoughts and was able to truly feel, let go and move on with peace. It’s a daily decision for me to live this way and having tools such as dance and yoga have been a huge part of my journey.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

After almost dying in childbirth and then struggled mentally postpartum with OCD, intrusive thoughts and mostly anxiety, I wondered if I was going to make it, if I was going to be alright, if I was fit to be a mother. I questioned myself daily and asked for reassurance from friends. I literally had to “fake it until I made it.” I’m happy to feel on the other side of that, now knowing that I am ok and a capable mother. I give myself grace and love and acceptance now and am able to receive the love from my daughter and other support. I did not give up, I asked for help. I went to acupuncture, massage, reiki, yoga, therapy, and did nature walks. You name it I did it. I went into debt to provide self care and save myself mentally. I did the work. I had a lot of help, tools and guidance but it was me that ultimately made the decision to keep going, that I will make it and here I am, raising a beautiful and magical daughter who is 4 years old that brings me a lot of joy. I work 50 hours a week to help pay back my medical/self-care bills and I manage to be present and get quality time with my daughter even still. I am proud of my accomplishments and will continue to do the work.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I have had to unlearn shame that I have been carrying because I am a woman and we tend to carry lots of shame. Shame around speaking up, movement, the way we carry ourselves in this world.
Being born into a large religious fear-based family in a small town was no easy feat. I felt curious and asked a lot of questions from a young age about other options. Instead of being supported as a child, I was silenced. This motivated me even more to do my own research, traveling, and experiencing things for myself. I had the freedom to travel and discover the truth. The truth that women are free and powerful, so powerful in fact that we have been silenced, stripped of our powers and not valued. Women create life, we raise babies, and we juggle a lot of things. We have superpowers. I often have need a reminder of our power as women and through movement such as twerk, we arrive back into our bodies, our power. I also love poetry, I find healing through spoken word, in being vulnerable and sharing in my truth. I have been inspired by so many poets. Chelsie Diane has been my greatest teachers and after attending a conference with hundreds of powerful women, I grew the courage to start teaching and I share my poetry in my classes. What a gift I have to share with the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://bouncewithmary.as.me
• Instagram: @bouncewithmary
• Facebook: Mary Christine Roth